Still Here San Francisco presents work created of, by, for, and about QTBIPOC, who comprise approximately half of the Bay Area’s estimated 350,000 LGBTQ+ residents. SHSF programs bring together queer and trans artists of different ages and racial backgrounds to create works that explore how historical and contemporary issues such as gentrification, displacement, AIDS, and police brutality have impacted the residents of San Francisco.

Still Here creates original multi-disciplinary multi-artist productions, media arts screenings, a Still Here Presents discussion series, and literary residencies, all centering the experiences of queer and trans BIPOC who grew up in San Francisco and despite waves of gentrification and displacement are Still Here. Our Anthology Series centers the voices of LGBTQ+ BIPOC artists raised in San Francisco. We celebrated the release of this first-of-its kind-anthology with a night of readings from the anthology, performances, and more.

Every year we hold the Kaleidoscope Writing Workshop Series, spending 8 weeks working with new groups of Transgender and Non-Binary BIPOC artists to help them refine their art and broaden their exposure. Almost all participants are low-income or working class. We also co-produce Start a Riot, a chapbook writing precise in response to rapid gentrification and displacement of artists in the SF Bay Area.

Still Here continued to meet the needs of the Still Here community during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 by holding a virtual monthly writing group and producing three virtual Still Here Presents events, each one featuring a Still Here artist in conversation about their life and creative work. In 2022, this writing group met in person and their work led to Last Sky: a Palestinian Futures Writing Workshop, A free Still Here SF writing workshop for Palestinian and other SWANA people, Black/Indigenous/people of color led by Janine Mogannam.